Before Market Harborough's Garden of Remembrance

Alison Bagley

In 1951, preparations were underway for the town's new Garden of Remembrance.

In 1951, Market Harborough War Memorial Committee met for the first time in two years and decided that the town's war memorial should not be moved into the not-yet-started Garden of Remembrance, behind Welland House.
Work had begun to demolish 29, The Square, the former home of Mr G Speight, to make space for the garden in early October.
However, due to a labour shortage the work had been delayed by a few weeks.

Demolition of 29, The Square, Market Harborough which stood in between what is now The Edinburgh Woollen Mill shop and the Market Harborough Building Society

The demolition of 29, The Square,was to make way for the town’s Garden of Remembrance and Riverside Walk.
The former owner of the house, photographer, oboe player, footballer and well-known rose grower Gulliver Speight, 87, had recently moved to a new home in Meadow Street.
Unfortunately, Mr Speight had died the same week the final bricks had been removed from his former home.